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HELP I am doing a grill swap and i am stuck!!!

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cryptobiotic

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I am doing a grill conversion from my 83 to a 89-91, I have bought all the parts from an after market part store, except for the parts i need to actually mount and plug in all the lights. I am having a hard time finding out what kind of wiring harness i need, when i tell the dealer pigtails they don't know what the heck /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif i am talking about, they tell me i need the whole harness that is like 700 bucks!! I tell them i already have a harness i just need to splice the connectors (pigtails I guess) into it, but i think that confuses them worse...I have looked at a couple of sites, the page about the grill swap here just says pigtials, adjusers, and springs, but there are no part numbers for aything and GM has like 2 billion different types of pigtails or harnesses or whatever...if someone has done a grill swap or knows what i need to get to hook these lamps up please let me know!! /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
Quad headlights or plain-jane two headlights?

I used the harness that was in my truck to swap it to an 89. The only thing I recall having to modify the harness for was the front marker lenses at the bottom. And it was simple with a test light, no rocket science involved.

So.. uh.. try telling us your exact problem. There are 8 lightbulbs on the front of your K5 right now.

Holy shnikies. I read the grille swap article Neil wrote last spring before I did mine and forgot about it. I sort-of used his wiring diagrams.

Anyway, my guess is you're having problems with the two marker lights on the front that don't blink. I got confused with the schematic and did it the old fashioned way--test light. From http://coloradok5.com/grilleswap.shtml
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
Option B - This is where good old ingenuity comes in to play. Find a wrecked &amp;#8217;89-&amp;#8217;91 Chevy/GMC Truck w/dual headlights at a salvage yard and purchase the headlight &amp;#8220;pigtails&amp;#8221;. You can wire the new &amp;#8220;pigtails&amp;#8221; into your existing harness, keep your existing side marker light plugs (from &amp;#8216;73-&amp;#8216;91are the same); keep your turn signal plugs (from &amp;#8216;73-&amp;#8216;91are &amp;#8220;close to&amp;#8221; the same) and plug them into the large hole on the turn signal assembly; lastly obtain some side marker &amp;#8220;pigtails&amp;#8221; from any &amp;#8216;73-&amp;#8217;91 Blazer/Suburban/Jimmy or Chevy/GMC Truck and splice into the existing side marker lights then plug into the small hole on the turn signal assembly.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
I actually am going to the dual lamps, the only things i have purchased are the radiator support, grill, bezels, and lamps, i just need the harware to plug the lamps in, I am not sure what kind of wiring i have to get i have called like 20 junk yards and no one has an 89-91, the dealerships are having a hardtime figuring this out, I don't think they carry pigtails, they can only sell me the whole harness...I found this site here http://www.geocities.com/abetterchemist/ this guy has the parts list and very detailed instructions, but the wirning harness he has listed is for a 92 and up i don't know if this one will work??? any ideas?? /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
I actually am going to the dual lamps, the only things i have purchased are the radiator support, grill, bezels, and lamps, i just need the harware to plug the lamps in, I am not sure what kind of wiring i have to get i have called like 20 junk yards and no one has an 89-91, the dealerships are having a hardtime figuring this out, I don't think they carry pigtails, they can only sell me the whole harness...I found this site here http://www.geocities.com/abetterchemist/ this guy has the parts list and very detailed instructions, but the wirning harness he has listed is for a 92 and up i don't know if this one will work??? any ideas?? /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
from this: http://www.wrath.com/projects/vehicles/images/84k10/frontclipoff89Jimmy/beforefrontclipoffjimmy2.jpg
to this: http://www.wrath.com/projects/vehicles/images/84k10/frontclipoff89Jimmy/afterfrontclipoffjimmy2.jpg

Or did you have single headlights to begin with? In other words, did you have two headlights to begin with or four?

If you started off with two you will need two high-beam connectors and a relay to drive the high beams (two prong). You want a relay because if you had two headlights to begin with you will overload the system if you try to run four with the highbeams on. Since you apparently had a truck with a front end to begin with you already have the low/high beam connectors (three prong). For the front marker lenses you will need two connectors like what you have for your side marker lenses.
 
I am just trying to figure out what connectors do i need? are they GM parts?
 
Yes, they are GM parts.

Go look at the sockets for your side markers. Notice that they happen to plug in to the middle front parking light boxes. These are what you need. Go to the junkyard and cut them off something. Everything from a Cavalier to a S10 had them. You want as much wire as possible on them.
 
Well basically i have everything on the list that is on this site, including the grill, radiaor support, the two light bezels for each side, all the headlights, and the blinker housings, I just need to know what do i need to put this all together? these are the things on this website i don't have:

4 - ‘89-’91 Headlight “pigtails” * ---what kind of pigtails? is there a part #???

8 - ‘89-’91 Headlight adjusters *---again any sort of part number for these?? Or are they the same thing as a factory Bolt (part # 15722032)??

4 - ‘89-’91 Headlight springs * ---i have found these they are part #10013753

I am kinda new at this stuff, and i just spent like 340 bucks getting all the peices, are those 4 items the last things that i need? I am having the hardest damn time trying to figure out what i need to get, maily because i am confused, I really appreciate people trying to help me, any more info would be greatly appreciated!! /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
I have a 85 and put a 91 gmc suburban front on it. I took the wires for the headlights and a fw of them burned up. I rewired correctly with replays so i could have all 4 lights on high beam. I found a few pigtails form the local junkyard off of a 89ish or 93ish checy pickup. The worked and pluged in fine. Any questions just ask.
 
Ok cool i am getting pigtails off of a 92 pickup tomorrow morning, as for the other parts i mentioned for mounting, are the springs and adjusters all that i need?? do i need to get the factory bolts or are those the adjusters?? I am just wondering what do i need to order from GM to mount the lights /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif??
 
Most parts stores should have the adjusters in thier "Help" section, or in a big catalog called "Motor Might"
Or find any 89 to 91 burb, truck, crew cab, blazer, or even van and grab all the little stuff.

-Jeremy

When I do mine my buddy works at the yard so finding everything is a snap.
 
Ok I think I have everything! I got my pigtails to day off a 92' pickup with the exact same headlights, then I ordered the springs, hex bolts and the bowtie from GM /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif then i got my adjusters from Checker they are universal GM agjusters but the guy said they should work...I am doing the swap this weekend hope everything goes OK!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
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